Presentation Details
| Female plumage colors evolve more rapidly than male colors in New World blackbirds J.Jordan Price1, Muir D.Eaton2. 1St.Mary’s College of Maryland, St.Mary's City, MD, USA.2Drake University, Des Moines, IA, USA |
Abstract
Differences in coloration between the sexes (sexual dichromatism) can increase or decrease in a species through evolutionary changes in either or both sexes diverging or converging in their colors. Few studies, however, have reconstructed past changes to examine the relative rates of such changes when dichromatism was gained or lost. Using reflectance data from 37 species of the New World blackbird family (Icteridae), we compared evolutionary rates of plumage color change in males and females within and among taxa. Our results show that female colors have generally changed more dramatically than male colors, despite males appearing more divergent among species. Increases in dichromatism have involved divergent changes in both sexes at approximately equal rates, with females of different species often converging on similar patterns. Decreases in dichromatism, in contrast, have involved changes in females to match male colors that were significantly more rapid than any changes in males. Our findings suggest that, despite appearances, female plumage evolution plays a more prominent role in sexual dichromatism than is generally assumed.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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